1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to apparel, and in particular, to trousers and boots that may be used to protect the wearer from exposure to liquids, aerosols and/or vapors.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The field of the emergency response has become broader and of greater importance in the past several years. Emergency responders, such as firefighters, EMTs, policemen, civil defense workers and defense workers now need to be prepared for hazards beyond fires, floods, and conventional warfare. Firefighters can be well protected against flame, heat and water by firefighter apparel that includes waterproof and thermal layers, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,332 to Snedeker, which is incorporated by reference herein. Responders may now need to respond to incidents where it is important to be protected not only against flame, heat and water, but against toxic chemicals, chemical warfare agents and biological pathogens. These hazardous substances may be present in the form of solids, liquids, aerosols, vapors or gases and therefore may bypass the protection provided by conventional firefighter apparel that is typically designed to protect against flame, heat, and water.
Exposure to hazardous substances, such as chemical, biological or radiological agents, even minimal exposure, can be fatal or cause permanent injury. Apparel and equipment currently exist that are capable or partially capable of protecting a responder against these hazards, but in many cases, the apparel, which may be an impermeable full body suit may be uncomfortable and difficult or impossible to work in under some conditions. Furthermore, these protective suits may be of limited utility in responding to conventional fires or medical emergencies as their durability may be limited. Such garments are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,708 to Langley.
These hazardous materials suits may limit mobility and may hamper a responder's ability to operate under emergency conditions. They typically do not provide protection from flame and/or heat. In addition, the lack of comfort that is typically experienced in using these types of protective suits means that responders are unlikely to don this protection until they are specifically called to respond to an unconventional event. Consequently, the emergency responder's ability to quickly rescue ambulatory victims or to escape from such an event with appropriate protection is compromised. Apparel that would provide comprehensive protection against chemical and biological hazards and would be more comfortable and user-friendly than hazmat suits would give the responder greater protection and confidence in performing his or her duties and would find widespread acceptance among responders of all types and, in particular, among firefighters.